Iceland's cool climate has helped the country carve a niche as one of the world's most cost-effective destinations for data centres. Now, it is looking to exploit its other quirks – such as its near-complete reliance on renewable energy – to attract more foreign investment.

The rapid growth of Alvogen is impressive by any standards, but for a company operating in the ever-changing pharmaceuticals market it is even more remarkable. The secret of Alvogen's success lies in its decision to expand and diversify its company function, its product line and its geographical markets.

For as long as he has been operating in the country, the founder and co-owner of Istil Group, Mohammad Zahoor, says that Ukraine has faced problems. Which is why, despite having business assets seized as a result of current political frictions, he is pressing ahead with existing projects in the country and optimistically predicting that a resolution to the current hostilities with Russia is on the horizon.

The Dominican Republic has much going for it as an investment destination, given its favourable location in the Caribbean and young workforce. However, the poor state of its education system – and the resulting shortfall in skill levels – casts a cloud over the country's prospects.

Wages are on the rise in China, presenting an opportunity for other developing countries to make a play for cost-conscious investors that might have otherwise looked to China. Morocco’s minister of industry, Moulay Hafid Elalamy, tells Courtney Fingar that Morocco is firmly in the mix.

The mayor of Birmingham in Alabama, William A Bell, tells Courtney Fingar how the renovation of an old railway yard into a baseball stadium is just one example of how the city is transforming its image and attracting the attention of both domestic and international investors.

As the physical home of the conserved 16th-century warship the Mary Rose, and the spiritual home of the UK navy, Portsmouth's prospects seem inextricably linked to the sea. However, with billions of pounds coming into the city in development grants, its future is looking assured on dry land and beyond.

Iceland's economic meltdown of 2008 made the country synonymous with the global recession at the time. However, with a cautious recovery now under way – thanks in no small part to a tourism boom – there is a determination in the country to ensure that this growth is better balanced, and it is looking to foreign investment to achieve this.